Driving in Andorra with a South Korea Driving Licence: IDP Requirements and Rules
A South Korea licence holder has a documented route to drive legally in Andorra by carrying the valid national licence together with a qualifying International Driving Permit (IDP). Andorra accepts Geneva-model international permits when accompanied by the national licence. South Korea issues 1949 Geneva Convention IDPs. Whether a current Korean national licence can always be used alone under Andorra's national-licence model rule was not established by the authoritative sources checked.
Quick answer
For a visitor from South Korea, the clearest verified option is the original Korean driving licence plus a valid Korean Geneva-model IDP. The IDP cannot be used by itself. No fixed visitor-day limit was identified in the foreign-permit provision, but separate restrictions apply after obtaining habitual residence in Andorra.
How Andorra treats a South Korea driving licence
Article 14 of Andorra's current driving-permit regulation recognises foreign national licences issued in accordance with Annex 9 of the 1949 Geneva Convention or Annex 6 of the 1968 Vienna Convention, including licences differing only through additional headings. The sources checked did not establish sufficiently that every current South Korea national licence independently meets one of those models, so use of the Korean licence alone is not stated here as an unconditional rule.
IDP requirement and applicable model
Andorra separately recognises international permits from non-EU and non-EFTA countries conforming to Annex 10 of the 1949 Geneva Convention or Annex 7 of the 1968 Vienna Convention, provided they accompany the holder's national licence and cover the relevant vehicle category. The Korea Road Traffic Authority identifies South Korea as a Geneva Convention country and issues international driving permits on that basis. For this pair, carrying the Korean Geneva-model IDP with the original licence is therefore the clearest verified approach. An IDP is not a stand-alone driving document.
Visitor and resident rules
The regulation checked does not state a fixed maximum number of days for a non-resident visitor using a qualifying foreign permit, so max_visitor_days is not converted into an unsupported number. Habitual residents are treated differently. For the relevant foreign permits, Andorra requires the permit to remain valid, the holder to meet the applicable Andorran age and licence-seniority conditions, and no more than six months to have elapsed since obtaining habitual residence.
The regulation also requires eligible foreign-permit holders to change their permit for an Andorran equivalent before one year has elapsed from obtaining habitual residence. For permits falling under the general convention-based categories, the regulation recognises theory for categories A and B and their seniority but requires the specified practical tests for each category being changed.
Rental-car requirements
No named rental company's published terms were verified for this exact licence pair. Rental policy is separate from Andorran driving law. Before collecting a vehicle, confirm whether the company requires the original Korean licence, IDP, passport, a minimum licence-holding period or other documentation.
Authority documents and insurance
The clearest verified document rule is that an international driving permit must be accompanied by the holder's original national driving licence. Pair-specific insurance documentation or consequences were not established from the authoritative sources checked, so those details remain unverified – confirm with official authority.
Relevant exceptions
Recognition is limited to the vehicle categories authorised by the documents. Residency materially changes the position because the six-month foreign-permit validity condition applies after habitual residence is obtained. A person moving to Andorra should therefore not rely on the rules for a short-term visitor.
Official sources used
- Govern d'Andorra legal portal, Regulation of 2 July 2025 on driving permits and the Register of Driving Permits, particularly Articles 14 to 16, checked 2026-10-03, https://portaljuridicandorra.ad/R20250702B
- Korea Road Traffic Authority Safe Driving service, International Driving Permit guidance identifying South Korea as a Geneva Convention country and listing convention participation, checked 2026-10-03, https://minwon.koroad.or.kr/guide/larGuide054.do?menuCode=MN-PO-1215
- United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, road-traffic convention materials and status information, checked 2026-10-03, https://unece.org/road-traffic-and-road-signs-and-signals-agreements-and-conventions
Practical recommendation
Take the original valid South Korea driving licence and a valid Korean 1949 Geneva Convention IDP and keep them together while driving. This avoids relying on an unverified assumption that the national licence alone satisfies Andorra's convention-model requirement. Check rental-company documentation separately before booking or collection.
Last verified
This information was checked against the listed Andorran, South Korean and UNECE sources on 2026-10-03. Driving-permit and rental rules can change, so recheck the official requirements before travel.